Display device for carpet samples



Sept. 29, 1970 F. HowARD 3 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR CARPET SAMPLES Filed Sept.1'?V 1968 INVENTOR 'FRED HOWARD 3,530,593 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR CARPETSAMPLES Fred Howard, New York, N.Y., assignor to Howard Displays, Inc.,New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 17, 1968, Ser. No.760,294 Int. Cl. B65d 73/00 U.S. Cl. 35-55 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A substantially flat carrier of extruded plastic havingparallel ribs or rails which are profiled for retaining small swatchesof carpets. The device clampingly receives a substantially larger samplecarpet swatch so that comparison may be carried out for the customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be conformed to and isemployable in a great variety of industries, such as carpet or broadloommanufacture, pile and other textile fabrics, plastic tiles, wallcoverings made of plastic or paper materials and like matters, inparticular, where a selection of a material has to be made prior todefinite and final order by the purchaser.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention toprovide meansaffording a speedy and pleasing display system for selected material ormaterials simultaneously in various sample sizes and permitting readyexchange of such samples of material with respect to its holder orcarrier.

It is another object of the invention to provide means conducive to ahighly wear-resistant display device, which can be mass-produced, iseasily stacked, is rather flat and not `bulky for storage and shipping,is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, is benda-ble and flexible andcan be readily incorporated in existing display organizations, ifdesired.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of meansfacilitating effective and convenient mounting of carpet and likesamples without the employment of any tools, adhesives and likeaccessories and of further means aiding in an efficient demonstration ofsuch samples in supermarkets, stores or in the home,

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans permitting the use and re-use of carpet and like samples indisplay devices without subjecting the samples to Apunching or otherinjurious operations prior to their mounting, release or reassembly, sothat the aforesaid samples become practically not deteriorated in anyway, while being displayed and handled during demonstration.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means resulting in acompact, but easily accessible and wellarranged display system forcarpet swatches and similar material, which system allows for anydesired sequential order of said swatches and the like with respect tothe exposed display surface.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the drawing and theensuing specification thereof, which are exemplary and explanatory ofthe principles of the invention and are in no way restrictive thereof.

BRIE-F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing: FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a tray-shaped carrier for relative small and largercarpet swatches embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elongated sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 1with small and larger samples applied to said carrier.

FIG. 2a is an enlarged cross-section of box-shaped extension pursuant tothe invention, the section being according to FIG. 2a-2a'.

FIG. 3 indicates in an exploded and perspective view a handle and anextension piece disassociated from the carrier of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in greater detail to the attacheddrawing there is disclosed in FIG. 1 a carrier or tray 10y of plasticmaterial which is highly resistant to impact, may be flexed and is madepreferably of extruded styrene and like plastic composition. The bottomwall 11 of the tray is substantially flat throughout, whereas the topwall 12 is provided with one or more tracks 13 each of which beingconstituted or formed by two adjacent profiled rail means '14, which runin parallel relation to each other, as shown. Each rail is T-shaped incross-section with a flat flanged head at 15, but may have any othersuitable configuration for the purpose of retaining between two adjacentrail means a plurality of colored swatches of carpet 16, 17, 18, etc.Each of these swatches has'a backing of yieldable material 19, such asmade of jute, rubber and similar substance, so that these swatches maybe at first flexed, as seen in FIG. 2 at 204 and then inserted forengagement between adjacent rail means 21, 22, as it becomes clear fromFIGS. l and 2.

Instead of flexing the swatches it is also possible to bend to a certaindegree color tray 101 and then to insert the aforesaid swatches ofcarpet between adjacent rail means.

To end rail 22 provided with an upright end piece or ledge 23 and upperhorizontal lip 24 directed toward the adjacent rail 21 there isadhesively attached or welded thereto an extension member 25.

This member 25 may also be manufactured during extrusion together withtray 10 and can thus constitute a single extruded device, as is wellunderstood.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 clamp extension means 25 is affixed to the trayand consists in one preferred embodiment of a flat bottom 26 which isprovided near one end 27 with one upright ledge 28 substantiallycoextensive with the aforesaid end ledge 23. Clamp extension 25 isfurther defined by a thorn-like ledge 29, which terminates in asharp-ended edge 29a which is directed angularly and rearwardly towardthe rear end 30 of box-shaped clamp extension 25 as more clearlydepicted in fragmentary sectional view of FIG. 2a.

The upper flexible wall 31 of rear end 30` is inclined and forms a lip32 directed toward end ledge 29, in angle thereto, normally overlies thesame in overlap relation and terminates in a sharp end edge 32a.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 wall 31 together with lip 32 may be flexedabout end corner 33 and momentarily spread apart relative to ledge 29 inorder to facilitate insertion of a respective end piece 34 of arelatively large carpet swatch 35, which e.g. extends lengthwise andWidthwise across the top of the aforesaid relative small carpet swatches16, 17, 18, 20, etc. and top wall 12. Thus box-shaped extension means 25clampingly receives and retains end piece 34 of a large size carpetsample 35 which corresponds in all respects, such as to color, weave,etc. to small carpet swatch, say, 17 for comparison sake and otherpurposes.

It is well understood that sample 35 may be readily disengaged fromclamp extension 25 and interchanged =with another carpet sample, whichcorresponds to a swatch of reduced size, e.g. designated by numeral 16,

or sample 35 may be swung o1' flipped over in the direction of arrow Ain order to obtain access to the backing and/ or swatches therebelow.

According to the invention it is also possible to insert betweenadjacent rail means a lengthy carpet swatch (not shown) Which extendsalong any of the tracks 36 and thus exposes a swatch of an intermediatesize. It is further iwell understood that carpet sample 35 may beengaged by and clamped in box-shaped extension 25 with the top face 35afacing all the tracks 13 and then swung back, if desired, for comparisonand like demonstration purposes.

FIG. 3 discloses extension or holder means 40 with the same partsdesignated and as seen in FIG. 2a, but with the rearmost end of theextension means shaped to receive a handle 41 made of relative hardplastic material and suitable to be slid by means of the V-shaped ends43 of ts legs 42 into correspondingly shaped end wall 44 of extension40. Top wall 31 and bottom wall 26 of extension piece 40, in thisinstance, terminate in two substantially U-shaped and springy wallportions 31a and 26a, which are spaced apart from each other at slot 45to facilitate also firm engagement of the handle ends 43 upon exertionof pressure thereof against the aforesaid wall portions at slot 45 andin the direction of and for location in V-shaped end wall 44.

It is well understood that instead of a single ledge 29 extending withinand across the box-shaped rear end 30 a plurality of spaced apart ledgesmay be provided, which may assume any suitable configurations(toothshape) for implementing increased retention of a sample piece orpieces within said read end 30. The release of the sample 35 may bereadily had by lifting or flexing apart top wall 31 together with lip 32from ledge 29, as may be easily realized.

As railheads 15 and cover 31 are substantially flush and level with eachother the flat bottom 11 of one carrier body may 'be stacked on the topof another carrier body for storage and shipping purposes.

It is further to be noted, that carrier body 10 may be provided with aneasle or like known support ,(not shown) or with an opening 46, toeither place said carrier in an inclined position on a counter or tofacilitate suspension of said carrier from a wall, respectively.

It will be seen from the aforesaid disclosure, that there has beencreated according to the invention a very compact, highly efficient,inexpensive and useful carrier structure which lends itself to a greatvariety of applications in the display and other accessory industriesand may be modified according to the purpose intended.

What is claimed is:

1. A display system for carpet and like samples of relative small andlarger sizes characterized by a substantially tray-shaped carrier bodyhaving a top face provided with one or more tracks, each track beingformed by proiiled rail means offset with respect to said top face andextending in parallel reation to each other, said rail means beingarranged in predetermined distance Cir to each other and being shaped tofrictionally and clampingly engage between adjacent rail means at leastone at and yieldable carpet sample of a given length, the width of saidsample corresponding to said distance between two adjacent rail means,and extension means connected to said carrier body at one end of thelatter, said extension means being provided with clamp means locatednear said one end and being adapted to receive for retention by saidclamp means one end edge of at least one carpet sample of relativelylarger size than that of said one sample engaged by said adjacent railmeans.

2. A display system according to claim 1, said extension means forming abox-shaped extension piece directed parallel to and substantiallycoextensive with said tracks, said box-shaped extension piece carryingltherewithin a sharp-edged ledge, and a cover on said extension pieceprovided with a sharp-edged lip normally engaging said ledge, wherebyupon lifting said cover lip away from said ledge the end edge of saidlarger carpet sample may be clamped in position between said lip andsaid ledge.

3. A display system according to claim 2, said sharpedged ledge and saidsharp-edged lip being angularly directed to and for contact with eachother.

4. A display system accordng to claim 2, said extension piece beingprovided with an offset ledge for abutment against and connection with arail means located at said one end.

5. A display system according to claim 2, said rail means and said coverbeing substantially ush with each other, the bottom of said tray-shapedcarrier body being substantially fiat, so that said body may be placedlevel with and on top of said rail means and said cover of anothercarrier body for stacking purposes.

6. A display system according to claim 1, adjacent rail means being eachprovided with a flanged head to facilitate retention of a carpet sampletherebeneath.

7. A display system according to claim 6, said trayshaped carrier bodyand said rail means being fabricated from an impact resistant, flexibleplastic material, for enhancing the insertion and retention of a carpetsample during engagement by said rail means.

8. A display system according to claim 1, wherein said extension meansis provided in its bottom with an opening to facilitate suspension ofthe same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,358 11/1906 Anchell 206-821,691,712 11/ 1928 Frederick 206-82 1,770,325 7/1930 Sheyn '206-822,929,160 3/1960 Lyttle.

HARLAND S. SKOGQUIST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 206--82

